Blueberry Mousse: Easy Dessert Recipe

Blueberries are finally in season, so I went to the farmers’ market and grabbed a few containers of the sweet, flavorful fruit. It was difficult, but I managed to save enough of these tiny treats to make a dessert. With fruit this fresh and flavorful, the dessert should be a showcase rather than cover up the ingredients. I think I accomplished that goal with this blueberry pomegranate mousse, and on top of that, it's so easy a little kid could do it.

To start, I blended blueberries with cream cheese. I cut the sweetness with a little pomegranate juice and pomegranate molasses and incorporated whipped cream for a light, fluffy mousse. Once the dessert cups rested long enough in the refrigerator, I garnished them with Italian pastry puffs and a few fresh blueberries. Voilà!

Directions

Whisk the cream cheese to soften it. Add the rest of powdered sugar and vanilla extract.

Reserve a few blueberries for garnish later (I used an extra 6-ounce package). In a blender, combine the cream cheese mixture, fresh blueberries, pomegranate juice, pomegranate molasses and salt.

In a small bowl, combine xanthan gum, lecithin and oil. Add the mixture to the cream cheese / blueberry mixture. Pulse one more time.

Gently fold in the whipped cream in stages. Make sure the cream cheese incorporates evenly (until the purple color is uniform).

Assembly time:

Place the mousse filling in a piping bag. Pipe or spoon into dessert cups. Level the filling with a spatula (if necessary). Cover with plastic wrap and place the cups in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours, preferably overnight (if you're patient enough !).

When you're ready to serve, pipe little mounds of vanilla-flavored whipped cream on top. Top with Italian pastry puffs. If you like, garnish with fresh blueberries and chocolate covered pomegranate seeds as a reminder of the flavors in the dessert.

Tips

I prefer using powdered sugar, also known as confectioner sugar. It gets incorporated very easily into the cream cheese and whipped cream than the regular granulated kind.

Xanthan gum is a fine powder used as a binder and emulsifier. If you look at the list of ingredients for salad dressings and ice cream at the supermarket, you'll find that they contain xanthan gum. I use it for texture and as an egg white substitute. You can find it online or in any specialty food store such as Whole Foods.

I use liquid lecithin as an egg yolk substitute. You can also find this online or in any specialty food store like Whole Foods. Look for a (32-ounce) bottle, not the capsules.

I buy Italian pastry puffs directly from a local store, Crossroads World Market, located at 720 San Antonio Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303. There's also another local store, called Milk Pail Market. The address is 2585 California Street, Mountain View, CA 94040. I love these markets; they carry a wide range of European products. You can but you can also order through Amazon. You could also use raisinets instead.

I garnished the mousse with dark chocolate covered dried pomegranate seeds. You can find Brookside chocolate online or at Costco.

If you don't want to use pomegranate molasses (I like it for the tartness it adds to the dessert; it balances the flavors very well), you can use any thick syrup or honey instead. You can find pomegranate syrup in Middle Eastern markets. If you live in the Bay Area, check out the Rose Market, 1060 Castro St, Mountain View, CA 94040.

If you like a denser mousse, reduce the whipped cream by half. I prefer a lighter, fluffier dessert.